Jaguars vs. Eagles: Staff roundtable and game picks for Week 5

Welcome to Big Cat Country's staff roundtable!

Today, we're previewing Week 5's matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles.

Question 1: What questions do you still have about the Jaguars, if any, after they beat the Bengals last week?

Dillon Appleman : I know the defense made the big stop at the end eventually, but I really need to see more execution from that side of the ball in crunch time. In Week 2 against the Broncos, and this past week against the Bengals, both opposing offenses had long, seemingly easy drives down the field when it mattered most late in the game. I would like to see more of a blood-in-the-water style of play in those situations going forward.

Travis Holmes : Can this Jacksonville squad handle the weight of expectations? Heading into Jacksonville's Week 2 game, heaps of praise were heaped upon this Jaguars team as a top AFC Super Bowl contender, only for them to fail to play the game we know they're capable of the following week. In a week-by-week, matchup-by-matchup league, losses will happen, but Jacksonville clearly didn't play its style of football against Denver. It was this inconsistency issue that has plagued the team for years. Similarly, Jacksonville is once again the national media's "Belle of the Ball" this week, with talking heads coming out of every corner of the media sphere to praise this team's future prospects. Can they tune out the noise and handle today's business?

Gus Logue : Where are the deep passes? Trevor Lawrence has thrown the ball 10+ yards downfield on 43.3% of his attempts — the highest rate in the league, per NFL Pro — but most of that production has come in the intermediate area. He ranks eighth in pass attempts 10-19 yards downfield (37) and just 25th in pass attempts 20+ yards downfield (8). It's good that Jacksonville's offense has been lighting up scoreboards without relying on shot plays. But the team does have Brian Thomas Jr., after all. It would be nice to see a couple of deep passes completed against a talented secondary.

Henry Zimmer : My big question will be how good the offensive line can be in terms of protecting Trevor Lawrence and keeping the running game going. Overall, the offensive line did OK against a solid Bengals front but the games never get easier as they go. This unit needs to find its footing, find its right five guys. When that happens, this team could be special.

Question 2: What's the key to a Jaguars victory this week?

Dillon : It's a bit simple, but it's just to win the turnover battle. The Eagles are snakebittin with injuries more than just about any team in the league right now, so really it'll come down to not gifting a desperate team favorable opportunities via turnovers or mistakes. Clean execution and not forcing anything should lead to a positive outcome.

Travis : Ezra Cleveland and Robert Hainsey versus Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo will be the matchup that determines this game's outcome, in my estimation. Vic Fangio's defense has struggled to consistently pressure quarterbacks this season when not blitzing, ranking 16th in the NFL with a 31% pressure rate when rushing 4 or less. That's while playing a defensive scheme specifically built around getting home with four. Jalen Carter has clearly seemed limited as a pass rusher while playing with a cast on his right wrist due to a hairline fracture, in a similar manner to Travon Walker in 2025. However, given Hainsey and Cleveland's slower start to 2026, Carter is likely still dangerous enough with his power rushes to disrupt the pocket for Trevor.

Gus : Winning the explosive-play battle. I don't expect Vic Fangio to allow Lawrence to paper-cut his defense to death by taking short, efficient passes and checking into runs against light boxes all game long. The Jaguars will need to make a few plays on offense. On defense, they really just need to avoid getting Mossed — because without multiple Pro Bowlers surrounding him, Jalen Hurts just isn't that good by himself.

Henry : This could be another "don't play with your food" game for Jacksonville. Just go out and win. Your key is to beat a banged-up team that is in free fall. This roster, at least on paper, is better than Cleveland's but the process is the same. You are supposed to win, so go out and do it for 60 minutes.

Question 3: Who will be an X-factor for the Jaguars on Sunday?

Dillon : Bhayshul Tuten. Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence get most of the attention for the Jaguars, but the impact of Bhayshul Tuten this season has been undeniable. He's third in the league in success rate, as well as missed tackles forced, which has been huge considering the middling performance of the offensive line to this point. I expect Sunday to be a heavy workload for the young back.

Travis : An often-overlooked area may come front and center this week. With an extensive Eagles injury report heading into the London matchup, most attention has gone to the starting players who may or may not be available. However, I believe this creates a huge opportunity for Heath Farwell's special teams unit to be this week's biggest X-factor. When so many starting-level players have been either traded, placed on injured reserve, or simply injured this week, that forces many practice squad, rotational depth, or recently signed players into increased special teams opportunities. A missed block, missed tackle, missed assignment, or miscommunication in a key situation could be all it takes to bust Sunday's game wide open for Jacksonville.

Gus : Travon Walker. In case you didn't hear, future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement after missing last week's game due to personal reasons. Our friends at Bleeding Green Nation believe third-round rookie Markel Bell will draw his second NFL start over veteran swing tackle (and former Jaguar) Fred Johnson. Walker should be licking his chops to face a young buck following his 1-pressure performance against Amarius Mims. On top of that, it's no secret that Jalen Hurts is much more efficient when rolling out to his right than his left. Even if Walker doesn't destroy Bell on every snap, he's got to contain Hurts.

Henry : My X-Factor for Sunday morning is Anthony Campanile. He should be able to feast upon the remnants of this bad Eagles offense. With potentially no DeVonta Smith or Saquon Barkley, this could be a very long afternoon for new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.

What are your Week 5 predictions, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

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